


The Innocence of Youth

by Kalorii



Category: Rise of the Guardians (2012)
Genre: M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-02-25
Updated: 2013-02-25
Packaged: 2017-12-03 15:43:54
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,585
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/699887
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Kalorii/pseuds/Kalorii
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>During a quiet afternoon in the Warren painting eggs for fun, Bunny gets asked a question he didn't expect to hear from Sophie.</p>
            </blockquote>





	The Innocence of Youth

**Author's Note:**

> This was a prompt given to me by sophie-bennettt on Tumblr!
> 
> "Sophie and Bunny painting eggs together before asking what it means to "do it like a bunny"."
> 
> Such a simple, to-the-point prompt that I looked at and was like: okay, this has to be written at some point. It's nowhere near as long as the other fics I've written but not everything needs to be super long! I hope you enjoy it as much as I enjoyed writing it, dear! The ending is...argh. I just didn't want to keep going on forever so forgive me.

It was like a tired, clichéd cartoon. The sun was shining, the birds were singing and two figures were sitting on the edge of a river. This being the Warren owned by one E. Aster Bunnymund, even though it was approaching winter in the northern hemisphere, everyone got to enjoy a taste of spring year-round. The sound of laughter carried through the air as small eggs walked toward the two sitting by the river of dye to be painted.

"A jack-o-lantern?" Bunny asked with a small laugh. "I know it's near Halloween but I'm not about to hide eggs for that, ankle biter."

The young girl sitting beside the Pooka let out a small huff. "I'm nearly eleven!" Sophie Bennett protested with a small pout and a flip of her blond hair. Her brush went over her egg again to polish off the jagged smile of her pastel-coloured egg jack-o-lantern. It would never have a light in it and the swirled baby pinks and blues didn't give off any sense of malice but she clearly cherished it. "I'm not little any more."

Aster chuckled, shaking his head as he placed an egg with flowers painted around its surface in front of him. "You've still got some growin' to do," he said, pointing his brush in her direction for emphasis. Truthfully, Bunny was amazed at how quickly time passed, still remembering when this child had helped him during that one failed Easter.

Sophie didn't say anything but she made a disgruntled noise, putting down her egg. It felt so odd for the Pooka to have constant visitors in the Warren again, ones that weren't going to get in his way and appreciated what he did. Sometimes Sophie would be joined by Jamie and his group of friends who had grown so much since that day in spring. Jamie had come along but he and Jack had gone off elsewhere in the Warren to talk - and probably make a mess somewhere.

Thinking like that, Bunny rolled his eyes and let out a sigh before he picked up another egg. He'd barely noticed that his friend had done the same and was painting pink rabbits around the surface of hers. Spotting this out of the corner of his eye, he nodded his approval. "I hope you're takin' up art, ankle biter."

"I don't know," she replied, looking critically at her egg. Holding it tightly as her face screwed up in concentration, a larger pink rabbit was painted on one side and then she held it out. It looked like a mother and her kits sitting in the middle of an open field, a sight that made Aster simply smile. "Painting eggs is different. I don't like trying to paint real things."

With her egg set down, Sophie got up and walked around. Thinking she was just stretching her legs, Bunny returned to what he was doing. It may not have been Easter but he always took painting seriously. He took his time, trying out new designs and sometimes making smaller changes to old favourites.

"Bunny?" Sophie's voice brought him out of his thoughts long enough to hum a curious assent that he'd heard her. "What does 'do it like a bunny' mean?"

The paintbrush slipped, marring the surface of the Pooka's egg with a long jagged line. His ears quivered slightly before he looked up at his friend with an incredulous expression. Had he really heard such a thing fall from this young girl's mouth. "W-where did you hear somethin' like that?"

Not noticing anything really wrong with the question, Sophie shrugged. "I heard Jamie laughing about it with Jack," she replied simply, bending down to pick up an egg she'd painted earlier with tiny swirls.

Of course. Bunny nearly snapped his brush in half as he gripped it tightly, only relinqushing his hold once he heard the creaking of the wood. Trying to keep his calm and telling himself that it wasn't as bad as it sounded, the rabbit put his brush away and set down the forlorn egg which would need a new painting job. "He was probably talkin' about hopping like a bunny," Aster finally said, trying to be reasonable about it.

Much to his dismay, she thought that over then shook her head. "Why would Jack be embarrassed about hopping?"

Reaching up to run a hand down his face, Bunny growled lightly. Leave it to Jack Frost to joke around with something like _that_. He didn't get much time to think on how to approach the subject when both of them heard laughter and the distinct sound of a snowball hittng someone. The rabbit watched as Jack and Jamie's snowball fight came ever closer to himself and Sophie until they stopped, Jamie brushing off the snow he'd been coated in.

"It's time to go, Soph," Jamie announced breathlessly, bending down to pick up the egg that had been ruined earlier. He looked at it curiously, handing it over to Jack who did the same. "Mom will start worrying and I have homework to finish."

"I don't want to go! Bunny can take me home," the young girl complained, stamping her foot. She looked pleadingly at the Pooka, going over to him and grabbing his hand. "He was going to tell me what 'doing it like a bunny' means because you won't."

Jamie's jaw dropped for a moment, a small cracking sound splitting the air as Jack ruined the egg he'd held for good. To his credit, the winter spirit had enough decency to blush but he started to back away which made Aster narrow his eyes. "Oh no ya don't, frostbite," he muttered, taking a few steps forward. "What were you doin' talkin' about...about _that_ to him?"

Putting up his hands defensively, the young Guardian let out a light laugh. "It's not _all_ my fault, Cottontail. You had a hand in it," Jack said, his lips quirked up in an amused grin. The hand not holding to his staff pointed to his neck and he gave Bunny a small nod. The meaning was crystal clear. "I didn't tell him anything. He figured it out."

A stifled laugh came from behind Aster and he turned to see Jamie trying not to double over in laughter. He gently took his sister's hand and started to lead them to the tunnels. "We know the way out. See you later, Jack and Bunny!" The teen led away the loudly protesting young girl who now had to leave without her curiosity being satisfied for another day.

Once they were out of sight, both Jack and Bunny let out a heavy sigh. The winter spirit crouched down, balancing his staff on one shoulder as he reached up with both hands to run them down his face. It was clear that he'd had a time of it as well but he'd never uttered a single word to his lover about that little discussion.

"Next time, keep the teeth below the collar," Jack growled. He gave Bunny a disgruntled look before he reached over and lightly slapped the Pooka's leg. It didn't take long before he laughed softly, bending one arm and perching it on his knee while he placed his chin in his hand. "Kids grow up too fast."

Something nagged at Aster's mind and he looked down at his lover with an arched brow. "You really didn't say a single word to help him figure out it was me who left that mark?" he asked curiously. He didn't get a verbal response but Jack simply shook his head slowly with his eyes closed. There was the slightest hint of a smile playing at the other Guardian's lips and that made Bunny think he was still missing something here. He paused then looked sharply at the teen.

"He _didn't_ know it was me!"

Calm demeanour shattered, Jack snorted and folded his arms as he laughed into them. Eventually he looked up, a satisfied grin on his lips. "He joked about it. Now he knows for real and I'll have to hear him and his friends go on about it each time I visit." Though he couldn't stop smiling, it turned into amused irritation. "Thanks a lot, Cottontail."

Bunny growled and Jack took it as a cue to pick up his staff, getting to his feet as he backed away slowly. "Get over here so you can thank me proper, frostbite," Aster said with a grin that suggested that there would be little to no thanking going on at all.

"I already thanked you. Chill out, love bunny."

Before the Pooka could even figure out what was going on, the ground beneath him froze and his next step sent him sprawling. A gust of cold air and a laugh that carried on the wind told Bunny that the winter spirit already had a good head start. Scrambling to get off the small patch of ice, Bunny got to his feet and then started running in the direction he saw the last glimpse of the young Guardian.

"Get back here!" Aster yelled, pelting after him.

Whether Jack liked it or not, Bunny managed to catch up to the prankster. He made sure that Jamie and his friends never forgot who left the bruises on Jack Frost's neck. Nothing amused the Pooka more than to deal with his lover's irritation when he'd come back complaining about being the butt of their amusement. That's what he got for toying with the innocence of youth.


End file.
